Distractions
by SilverHeart09
Summary: In which Pepper accidentally-on-purpose uses operant conditioning to help Tony get over his fear of thunderstorms. Tony/Pepper


_I have no excuse for this._

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After a stressful couple of months relocating to Stark Tower from Malibu, Tony was slightly calmer and no longer went into full-blown panic-mode whenever he looked out the window and saw the Empire State Building, a couple of sessions with a guy Steve recommended (some dude called Sam) had also helped.

And of course, the love of his life had helped as well.

Pepper had been more than amazing, she'd been a life-line, there for every panic attack, every moment of uncertainty, every nightmare filled sleepless night, everything that scared Tony or made him run to her and bury his face against her neck.

One Wednesday evening found the pair seated on the floor of their living room with paperwork in a circle around them listening to the thunderstorm outside. The remaining Avengers were off somewhere Avenging things and they had the tower to themselves mostly, with the exception of Bruce who occasionally stayed over or worked in the R&amp;D labs. Now though, he was off on a date with Betty who'd strode into his office one day and demanded he speak to her instead of avoiding her.

Pepper wasn't a big fan of thunderstorms, and Tony used to love them. Now though he was seated with his back against the sofa facing away from the window and his hands were gripping the piece of paper he was holding so tightly that Pepper thought it might rip in half.

'JARVIS, shades down, put something mellow on,' Pepper said.

The windows darkened immediately and a few seconds later Michael Bublé's _Put Your Head On My Shoulder _came through the speakers.

Tony didn't say anything, but Pepper saw the tension leave his shoulders and the grip on the paper relax as the music covered up the noise coming from outside. The fire was lit and the room was cosy and warm, Pepper was starting to feel slightly lethargic and covered a yawn with her sleeve.

'That's the last of them,' Tony said, signing his name on the dotted line with a flourish and stacking the papers neatly together.

'Awesome,' Pepper responded, putting a big tick next to _strap Tony down and force him to sign papers _on her PDA.

Tony read this over her shoulder and pulled a face. 'There was no straps involved, Ms Potts,' he told her. 'Next time make sure there are straps, preferably leather. Feel free to bring a whip too and we'll make a night of it.'

'Yes, Mr Stark,' she replied seductively, stretching her legs.

A sudden clap of thunder boomed over the sound of the music and Tony leapt sky high and dived behind the sofa.

'Turn it up, JARVIS,' Pepper said quietly, crawling behind the sofa to find Tony, who had his knees drawn up to his chest and his face tucked into his arms.

'Hey,' Pepper said softly and tugged him towards her. 'You're okay.'

Tony said nothing and Pepper could see his shoulders shaking slightly. 'Tony…' she said gently and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pressing her face into the skin of his neck as he tilted his head to the side slightly to rest on top of hers.

Pepper wrapped her arms around him and Tony loosened his hold on his knees and burrowed his head in her chest, arms clutching tightly around her waist as she gently stroked his hair until he stopped shaking.

'I'm such a wuss,' he mumbled into her neck.

'No, Tony, you're not a wuss,' she replied softly. 'You're the bravest man I know. You've been through some awful things and you've come out stronger than before, I'm so proud of you.'

Tony said nothing for a while, his breathing evened out and for a moment Pepper wondered if he'd fallen asleep, then he tilted his head up slowly to look at her and Pepper could see his eyes, big and dark blinking sleepily up at her and…

… and she couldn't help herself, not when he was being this kind of adorable it wasn't fair.

So she leaned down and kissed him.

His lips were soft and she felt his eyes flutter closed against her skin. She didn't try anything for a moment, didn't try to force him into it and gave him time to pull away until he ran his tongue against her lips and Pepper lost herself in him. His hands were warm on her hips and she tangled her fingers up in his hair, somehow ending up flat on her back as Tony pinned her down and kissed her slowly, drinking her in and nuzzling her lips with his. He tasted amazing and Pepper felt time slipping away as she ran her hand along his back to stroke the muscles he'd honed since becoming Iron Man.

Then her phone rang and shattered the moment.

Tony froze against her neck and Pepper closed her eyes and ran through every curse word she knew alphabetically.

'I should probably get that,' she said.

'Um… yeah,' Tony responded.

Pepper gave him a meaningful look.

'Ah, sorry,' Tony said, pushing himself off her and sitting back as Pepper grabbed her phone from the sofa and glared at the screen.

'_Mom.'_

'_What's that tone for, Virginia? Were we interrupting something?'_

Pepper glanced at Tony who was watching her, eyes very dark.

'Kind of, is everything okay?'

'_Considering we're staying in a hotel, yes dear, everything's fine.'_

Pepper pinched the bridge of her nose. Her family had come to New York to celebrate her older brother's engagement and her mother was most miffed that Pepper hadn't allowed them to stay in Stark Tower. Not that Tony minded, it was just with the renovations they were having and the move from the California offices to New York it just wasn't safe to have her parents, her brother and his fiancé and her family, her sister and her husband and _his _family (along with their two children) running around.

She pretended not to notice when Tony purposefully shuffled himself closer to her.

'Why are you calling?'

'_You're so harsh! I just wanted to check that you're okay, this storm is quite horrific.'_

Pepper didn't jump when Tony pressed his lips to her neck, didn't say anything when his hands snaked around her waist and he bit lightly at her skin.

'I'm fine, mom. Just doing some work with Tony.'

Tony chuckled at her choice of words and moved up to her ear, tugging lightly at the lobe with his teeth and running his tongue along the line where her jawbone ended and her ear began.

'_At this hour?' _her mother said confused, and Pepper stifled a groan when Tony started kissing the line of her neck and a hand made its way under her top and across her stomach.

'I work for a workaholic, that makes me a workaholic too,' Pepper informed her, tipping her head back and clenching the fabric of Tony's t-shirt as his hand played with the clasp on her bra, pulling away from the phone for a second to plant a sloppy open-mouthed kiss on his lips and to run her free hand through his hair.

'_Huh,' _cam her mother's reply.

'Huh indeed,' Pepper said, pulling away from his mouth long enough to answer then returning to it, twirling her tongue against his and pushing him onto the floor, swinging her legs over his so she was straddling his hips and devouring his mouth as Tony unclipped her bra.

'_Well you must come and see us,' _came the response. _'Your nieces miss their Auntie Ginny.'_

'I will, mom,' Pepper reply drowsily, not really listening any more, eyes closed as Tony pulled himself into a sitting position with Pepper still firmly on his lap and pulled the thin cotton of her t-shirt off, sliding her bra off her arms and attaching himself to her breast, swirling his tongue along her nipple. She arched her chest against his mouth, rubbing on a very prominent part of him as she did so and he moaned against her skin and bit her nipple, making her gasp.

'_Virginia? What was that?' _her mother asked.

'What was what, mom?' Pepper asked, pushing Tony off her skin so his back hit the floor, riding him slowly with a hand over his mouth to stifle his moans.

'_It sounded like someone was in pain.'_

Tony chuckled when he heard this and Pepper glared at him, twisting her hips in a figure eight motion, making his eyes roll back into his head as he arched his hips up.

'We're just watching a film. I'm busy, mom, I'll call tomorrow okay?'

'_Okay, dear.' _

Pepper hung up and threw her phone over the sofa hearing it land with a soft _thunk _on the cushions, reaching down and tugging her boyfriend's shirt off.

'I have no idea how you managed to sound so normal,' Tony praised her, grinning impishly at her as he tugged her skirt up.

'Practice I guess,' Pepper responded, raising an eyebrow at him, referring to the way he kept trying to play footsie with her in meetings.

'Hmm-mm,' Tony said, as Pepper arched off his hips long enough to tug his pants and boxers down, making him groan when she ran her fingers along him.

'I'm amazed you managed to keep your mouth shut,' she responded as Tony reached between her legs and moved her panties to one side.

'It was rather preoccupied at the time,' he replied, gripping her by the hips and pulling her down onto him as she moaned loudly and clutched at his arms.

'You do seem to know what you're doing,' she agreed, thrusting experimentally against him as he panted underneath her.

'That's true…' he mused, and flipped her over so she was on her back and he was leaning over her. 'Speaking of which…' he grinned wickedly at her and slid out of her body, causing Pepper to protest and then arch up with her eyes closed breathing heavily as he pressed his tongue against her clit and lapped her up, fisting her hands in his hair and urging him on.

'We both know you know that you know what you're doing it so stop trying to swell your ego,' Pepper told him as she cried out in pleasure and tugged on his hair.

Tony moved his mouth away from between her legs and up to her ear. 'Poor choice of words,' he said as he slid back into her and started to thrust firmly until Pepper was practically shaking underneath him and kissing him sloppily, gripping his ass with one hand and his hair with the other.

'You think you're so good…'

'And you don't?' he said, slipping a hand between their bodies to rub at her clit.

Pepper wrapped her legs around his waist and gripped his ass with her hands, deepening the angle and urging him on.

'Pepper,' Tony grunted into her neck, biting her skin.

'Tony,' she replied, raking her nails across his back so he arched up.

'You know I adore you, right?' he panted as she pulled his head down so she could return the favour, biting his neck hard.

'I had an inkling.'

She pushed him onto his back and rode him hard and roughly until his eyes rolled back into their sockets and he moaned her name, clutching at her and thrusting as he rode out his climax, Pepper coming shortly afterwards and gasping at the sensation of him filling her and moaning his name as the waves of pleasure rolled up from between her hips.

She slumped down onto his chest and he rolled her onto her side, keeping himself inside her with a leg slung across her waist as he pressed open-mouthed kisses to her neck and traced her spine with his hand.

'Hmmm,' Pepper mumbled, closing her eyes sleepily as he nuzzled her mouth.

Tony chuckled. 'Sleepy? Ms Potts?' he asked.

'Very,' Pepper said, exaggerating this point with a yawn. 'You better carry me to bed, Mr Stark.'

'You got it,' he said softly, sliding out of her and pulled his boxers and pants up as Pepper rearranged her panties and skirt and pulled her shirt back on, only doing up a couple of buttons.

'You looked so beautiful,' Tony said, grinning at his as he picked her up, still shirtless, and started carrying her in the direction of their room.

'You don't look too bad yourself,' Pepper said, wrapping her arms round his neck and mussing up his hair even more than it already was.

It wasn't until they were tucked up in bed with Tony curled around Pepper's sides and the lights off that she mumbled sleepily: 'I wonder what Bruce and Betty will think when they find my bra and your t-shirt on the living room floor.'

'They're geniuses,' Tony responded. 'They'll figure it out.'

They fell asleep to the sound of the storm clouds rolling away and (somewhere in the distance) a female voice saying 'why is there a bra and a shirt on the floor?' then a pause followed by a male voice responding with 'they're basically rabbits,' and silence.

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_Please review :)_


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